2 Apr 2015

Transfer Madness: Legend insists 'genius' attacker loved by Carra/Redknapp is 'worth £100m'

In recent weeks, both Jamie Carragher and Jamie Redknapp have willingly contributed to the ludicrous Harry Kane hype-machine, and as we've seen with the damaging deification of Raheem Sterling, the fawning over Kane is (predictably) spiralling out of control.

Earlier this month, Redknapp claimed Kane is a front-runner for this season's 'player of the year' award, and Carra ridiculously hailed the 20-year old as a football 'genius.

Now, Ex-Man City star Rodney Marsh has jumped on the bandwagon, and offered the most preposterous contention yet. On Wednesday, he told the Manchester Evening News:

"I reckon he [Kane] is worth £100m. If Mangala is worth £32m, Harry Kane is worth £100m all day long"

This comment from Marsh is indicative of a pervasive sickness eating away at the heart of football: gross overhype of young players who've achieved *nothing* in the game. Marsh is entitled to his opinion, but to claim Kane is worth £100m is irresponsible absurdity of the highest order.

It's always the same tedious schtick: whenever a British footballer displays a modicum of talent, the Media - led by a hyperbolic horde of ex-players - engages in sycophantic ego-massage, and proceeds to make the most ridiculous claims about said footballer's alleged ability.

The sheer arrogance of it always amuses me. The England national team is an abject failure on the international stage, and has been for years, yet deluded ex-players, managers (Brendan Rodgers, for example), and the media continue to peddle the risible myth that England is a footballing superpower replete with an endless supply of world-class players.

Newsflash: England have *no* world-class players, and constantly lionising/deifying the likes of Kane and Sterling doesn't change that. English football is good at one thing: producing overpaid, under-performing pretenders who ultimately end up drunk on their own hype, and incapable of living up to the hysterical hyperbole vomited out by the media.

Marsh should be embarrassed by his comments about Kane, who is most definitely *not* worth £100m, or anything close to that, but like so many others (including Rodgers), he clearly lacks the self-awareness to appreciate how the constant idolisation of footballers is destructively counter-productive.

Author:


125 comments:

  1. Why do we listen to all these so called expert.s ?
    Are they more knowledgeable than the loyal fans that sick with the club through good and bad times?

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  2. Firstly, I am in no way disagreeing with the article as a whole, but I think you are doing Kane a disservice by claiming he only has a "modicum of talent" as he is level with Costa on goals scored. And as for no World Class English players (as much as it pains me to say it) *cough* Rooney *cough*. Now if you excuse me I must wash this muck off of my tounge.

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  3. "I want it all and I want it now!". ( Freddie Mercury 1946 - 1991 )

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  4. Rooney has NEVER been World Class. Against his peers, he was never in the top 5 strikers, let alone top 3 or so. He was a very talented boy/man wonder, but failed to make the step up.

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  5. Surely 'I want to break Freeis more apt...

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  6. Lets show Sterling what we think of him when he next runs out at Anfield -

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  7. Top fan. that'll really help.

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  8. HERE HERE, Sterling is just another example of all this shit.

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  9. Rooney has the WORST RECORD IN MAJOR TOURNAMENTS EVER - The rest of the World laugh at us when we hype him up - he has been total Rubbish

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  10. Yes Ray I agree.

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  11. Now he was a world class talent, RIP. Would love to have seen him live at Wembley but enjoy watching the same on YouTube occasionally.
    I'm most looking forward to the day of open topped buses in Liverpool accompanied by a rendition of another of his great songs.

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  12. Another one bites the dust perhaps.

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  13. It's obvious that they only started watching Mangala when he was linked with a move to City.

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  14. And get rid of the little tosser.

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  15. We yearn for "we are the champions".

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  16. Jesus, Jaime. I almost needed a dictionary to read that. On a more serious note, i would give a Perfect 10 score for that article. Agreed with everything.

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  17. As much as it pains me to say it, Rooney is a world class striker. Surely the fact he's on the brink of becoming Manchester United and England's all time leading scorer is proof enough of that

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  18. Next season will be the test of Kane. Defenders will know all about him next season and will be prepared for him. Benteke and Michu spring to mind... Thank God we didn't splurge 20 million on either of them

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  19. May Kane have mercy on our souls.

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  20. And that is ???? Bad attitude could cost us DEARLY .
    All LFC g players get my support whilst on the pitch

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  21. Yes let's. Let's let him know that he is talented and one of our key figures and we support him despite everything going on as this helps the team and the team is what's important not the individual and his contract talks which are not even ongoing another moment

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  22. Is that a trick question?

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  23. No mate apparently fans getvthe pitch forks out as soon as possible. Let's chase anyone with any talent out the club. That is the forward thinking man's game.

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  24. There are some who stick with the club, keep going the games but that doesn't mean they are knowledgeable.

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  25. HaHaHa, I don't know what you see when you watch games ? Sterling is lazy cant kick a ball cant cross cant beat a man and cant tackle and when he does he fouls so what bloody good is he ?

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  26. The fan reaction since the United game has been unbelievable. Lost one game in pretty crazy circumstances after a great run and the 'BR out' and 'all our signings are crap' gang are back out with a vengeance.
    This Sterling business is annoying as well. He seems to have been written off by a huge section of the fan base for having the audacity to delay his contract extension.
    Jaimie calls me an apologist but forgive me for not jumping on a sustained campaign against a 20 year old, based on nothing but speculation and conjecture

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  27. sorry jock- Sterling has been crap all season and this is not just because of the contract.

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  28. Facts prove that to be rubbish.


    let's compare him to Coutinho, probably the best player in terms of positional similarity
    Sterling has:
    More goals 7-4
    More assists
    More shots on target 27-24
    More successful crosses 15-2
    More completed passes

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  29. If you want to be an L-Kop regular, you need the following masters degrees: Literature, Philosophy and Child Psychology.

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  30. I clicked on this article thinking, 'it will either be about Sterling or gross overpraise'.

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  31. Ha ha Child psychology....

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  32. If he's been crap what does that say about the rest of the team

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  33. No he isn't. There are at LEAST 6 better strikers in world football. Wouldn't make a World 22 man squad, let alone a world 11. he record is way worse than it should be on the international stage too. What has he done to get us anywhere?

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  34. No, YOU think he's been crap. Who has been better then? in AM or ST?

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  35. Why let a fact or 10 get in the way of a good old fashioned slagging- and today's weather Raheem Sterling made it rain- GET HIM

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  36. 1 goal in 3 World Cups WC my ass

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  37. A very nonsensical comment as Sterling ironically has probably been our most consistent player. I will be surely cheering him on.

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  38. Amazed me to be honest, the percieved views of Sterling vs Coutinho esp with the coverage Couts had over the last months. Sterling has fewer passes, headed wins and successful tackles but beats PC by a mile in almost all of the important areas

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  39. Johnson to blame again - putting ideas into Raheem's head n his move to Barca ...... Now there is Fantasy Football !

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  40. I see what normal sane people see. You see something different. Says more about you

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  41. Absolutely. How's praise worse than a campaign againstvthe lad. We need our players to perform. Try doing that after getting dragged off everyday and atvthe game itself.

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  42. Usual it is the double

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  43. The point of Rodney Marsh's comment was that there has been a precedent – a yardstick. If Mangala is sold for £32 m, or even if David Luis goes for £50 m, then how much is Kane 'worth'. From that point of view, £100 m doesn't seem so crazy after all.

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  44. The word " World Class" is being so overused that people don't know what it means anymore. It may be subjective.


    Maybe a better term is " X player is in world class form at the moment" rather than " X player is world class".


    However, if X player displays consistent world class form is he then world class? Because loads of conference league players scored 25+ goals a season. Are they world class?


    I.E. Jordan Rhodes...is he world class? 99% of fans will probably say no purely based on his club reputations, league he plays in, performances for Scotland.


    But he has demonstrated "world class form" in his respective league (championship & league one), so one could call him world class at that level.


    Just like Neil Mellor once upon a time showed world class consistency at youth level, so maybe at that level he was world class.


    IMO, Harry Kane is enjoying "world class form" but one could not call him world class as he has not showed this form for a prolonged period of time (a number of seasons like Robben, Ronaldo, Suarez, Messi etc...)


    Maybe in 2 seasons time if Kane is continuing with his "world class form" then he may deserve to be called world class.


    I know that Jamie has a class system which to be honest I do agree with. For me, a true world class player impacts his team at all levels:


    Domestic- League, FA Cup (equivalent)
    European- Champions League
    National- Qualifiers with national team and competitions


    But let me throw some spanners in the works:


    Was Lampard, Gerrard, Owen, Ashley Cole, John Terry, Rio Ferdinand world class?


    They certainly were for their clubs over a prolonged period of time, but did not impact their national team as much as they could.


    Is Sterling world class?


    All in all I think the branding of players is subjective. But for me, world class is not just a one season wonder. They have to show world class form consistently on all levels of the game.

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  45. In this case, I think old Charlie Darwin was right.

    There is an evolutionary 'arms race', in which predators and prey are constantly competing with each other. The predators acquire sharper claws and teeth, and the prey becomes faster.

    If Premier League defenders become wise to Kane's game, then he'll just have to become even better so that he can continue to score goals consistently.

    Or he'll become extinct..

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  46. But premise is crazy. Comparing deals makes no sense. You could don't reverse and say Ronaldo, Bale and Shared went for X so Kane being nowhere near even Bale's level only worth half. It's a strawman argument that doesn't stand up to any scrutiny and is just a fella getting paid to talk balls.

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  47. Thanks for typing all that, I wanted to but couldn't be botheres

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  48. Hmm bit debatable whether anyone should take Marsh's comments literally or apply a bit of critical realism.


    He is known as a bit of a mischief maker and joker and was probably using the comparison have a dig at Mangala's valuation and to yet again moan about how much money there is in football now compared to his day.

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  49. Well he's been our best player this season by a distance and without him God knows what our league position would currently be

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  50. Exactly, Sterling even said in his interview that all this constant contract talk has got to him and is affecting his performances as it is inevitably going to. The lad wants to draw a line under it until the summer. Fair enough, we'll pick this back up then.
    Continuing to hound him every day is tantamount to sabotaging our own season

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  51. Geography though, is not a requirement as code paid testament to the other night

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  52. I agree with you, it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. But Chelsea put a £50 m valuation on David Luiz, and PSG were crazy enough to pay. Who says that if Spurs put a £100 m valuation on Kane, there wouldn't be a team crazy enough to pay that too? I highly doubt it, but who knows? One thing we know for sure, is that one day, a player will definitely be sold for £100 m.

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  53. The press like the rest of the Establishment is racist and any young black rich footballer will from time to time be described variously as spoilt, lazy, feckless or arrogant.


    This gets picked up by others who should know better and this leads to a feeding frenzy questioning every aspect of his character and his motives.

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  54. Absolutely. Anyone not seeing that is too blinded by their own self righteousness.

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  55. Can't help but think of The Big Lebowski when I see Johnson's name mentioned. The bit where the guys burst into his bathroom throw a ferret into his bath and threaten him with the immortal words - 'We will come back and cut off your Johnson'

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  56. At no point in time did I say he was better than anyone or would make any kind of world or classic 11 but you don't become Man U and England's all time top scorers by being average.
    He under-performed at major tournaments but so did every other player in the England squads he was in, caused in my opinion by the ridiculous pressure placed on them by their own fans and media.
    Lineker was a great goal scorer who stepped up at big tournaments but he never achieved anything near to what Rooney has at club level. He also never got asked to put a shift in on the left wing or drop deep and play in midfield. Lineker was more of a Miroslav Klose type of striker than an all action forward like Rooney.
    Listen I'm no Rooney fan but credit where it's due...

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  57. Haha great scene

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  58. That's what BR did and look at the result !

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  59. Marsh is a city fan and his comment is more a dig at the under performing Mangala, than it is a serious comment on Kane's value.

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  60. So onto the game vs Arsenal. Positive for me is that Lucas is back.


    The club has still said nothing about Sturridge though?


    I believe we need to revert to a back 4 as teams have figured us out and also play a direct style like we did last season with pace up top.


    ---------------Mignolet--------------
    Flanagan Toure Sakho Moreno
    ---------------- Lucas----------------
    --------Can--------------Hendo-----
    ---------------Coutinho--------------
    -------Sterling---------Markovic----


    Sterling and Markovic will run defences ragged and Markovic has show that he he is capable of finishing. Coutinho and Lucas would need to be at their best though otherwise Arsenal will take us to the cleaners.


    I want to see us dominate teams like we did last season for our remaining games. Time to let the shackles off. We cannot sit back and wait for others to drop points if we want to take 4th.

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  61. Cole was world class. Did it for club and country for a decade.

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  62. Angel Di Maria cost Man Utd 60m.If we use his transfer as a valuation guide, surely Hazard and Sanchez are worth over 100m:)
    That's why valuation comparisons are stupid.You can twist price tags to suit any argument.Compare whoever to a bargain to make a case for someone not being worth a lot.Or use an overpriced player like Rodney Marsh did with Mangala to give Harry Kane inflated value.

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  63. Rodgers confirms that Daniel Sturridge has trained today and should be fine for Arsenal game on Saturday. twitter James Pearce
    ‏@ JamesPearceEcho

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  64. Rodgers on Sterling's interview: "No permission from the club. It surprised us all. Some times he'll make mistakes."

    twitter James Pearce
    ‏@ JamesPearceEcho

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  65. That is great news. Rodgers trolled England and Roy Hodgson and I like it.

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  66. Nevergonnacrackthecode2:30 pm, April 02, 2015

    Sturridge is fit.
    markovic should never play again he is a winger who cannot take on players

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  67. I get where you are going at Jaimie but I think marsh's comments were figurative and were obviously hyperbolic. But, yeah, players are fawned on when they have one to two good games. This is what drives player greed and eventually, the downfall of careers.

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  68. Nevergonnacrackthecode2:31 pm, April 02, 2015

    yep
    he played in the charity game very well


    him and Drogba looked awesome in tandem

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  69. Yeah. Would prefer him to GJ for sure but if Flanno is not fit, would play Manquillo.

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  70. You sure yo thinking if the same fella?

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  71. That is about the team I would choose but because Sturridge is fit, I would play him with Sterling.

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  72. Nevergonnacrackthecode2:34 pm, April 02, 2015

    yep
    Lucas,Shelvey ,Drogba,Flanno and Balo
    looked so awesome together


    it is such a disappointment we never got to see Lucas and Shelvey play togetehr

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  73. I think that going to Arsenal with only 4 in midfield, including Lucas who is only just back from injury, plus Can and Hendo who, no matter how industrious can't cover the whole pitch to defend and provide penetration; is suicide. If you want to switch it (and I understand your reasoning, we've seen that Blackburn, Swansea and United have figured us out), I would suggest a 4-5-1 with Sterling up top as a false 9, Can/Allen and Hendo in front of the back 4, and Coutinho, Markovic and Lallana in front of them.

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  74. I am pretty sure they did play together. Also it was a charity game. I wouldn't look too much in to it. It is less competitive than a preseason friendly.

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  75. I want to believe it is not a race thing but it does seem to stand up.

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  76. Nevergonnacrackthecode2:40 pm, April 02, 2015

    This is the most important game since Istanbul in 2005.
    Manchester United have overtaken us as a club.
    Arsenal are attempting to do the same , the last two windows they have undermined us with suarez and Sanchez now they are trying same with
    Sterling.
    Liverpool need to finish above them ,
    Liverpool are bigger then Arsenal


    and it has to stay like that

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  77. You must have missed the other Champions League final we played in 2007.

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  78. Nevergonnacrackthecode2:44 pm, April 02, 2015

    This is a fight for our status.
    It affects the next twenty years.

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  79. Nevergonnacrackthecode2:46 pm, April 02, 2015

    Only from the bench .
    They never started a match or had a run out together
    because of Allen and Henderson

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  80. I've ignored nothing. Sterling's primary role is to score and create goals, not win fouls, and make clearances/interceptions. You and others use those stats simply because it suits your argument.


    When considering the merits of players like Rush, Barnes, Dalglish et al, who uses clearances and duels won to assess their effectiveness? No one.


    I don't ever hear anyone lauding Pele's crossing rate, or Zidane's prodigious record of blocks.

    When it comes to attacking players, the history books deal in goals and assists, and there's a reason for that.

    Also, if Sterling's other stats weren't that great, you'd probably find some other pointless (positive) stat to use, like how many miles he averages every game etc.

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  81. It is hilarious the way ex pro likes to associate themselves with anyone half decent these days...The media and the ex pro's are a dangerous combination... Somebody should gag them...

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  82. I want a pic of you mimicking the video to that song... and no skimping...

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  83. "My what...?"

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  84. Ooops, thats the song I was thinking of when replying to Kop4it....

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  85. What did he say?

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  86. "Fat Bottomed Girls" by chance

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  87. Abnormal Psychology is slowly creeping in, what with all the recent serial killer references.

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  88. "I SAID I CUT OFF YOUR JOHNSON"

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  89. Nice, Side by side stats that are actually comparible.....

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  90. Thought Jamaica (and the rest of the Caribbean) was in Africa

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  91. LOL, he obviously never cracked the code to unlock the cupboard with the atlas and globe

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  92. Then we play him at wing back.... seems his job is alot more than just chances and goals..

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  93. Fact that he's from Jamaica means he is also a pot smoking crack head.... who'll most likly be arrested for car jacking before his 21 b'day..

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  94. Don't bother... even if you win the debate, you'll lose a part of your soul in the process

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  95. Kind of like the word "outstanding"

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  96. For most fans, since Coutinho signed his extension, he's ok.

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  97. Sounds better with German accent : )

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  98. That's the one. I've heard Mignolet does a pretty good Brian May to.
    I may be confusing you with someone else Stan but should I expect to see you on that bus, as you don't just play but you can rap as well.

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  99. Just saw part of interview with BR who says Sterling is going nowhere in the summer

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  100. So that's why I'm feeling so...empty...lately.

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  101. You've ignored plenty.


    Can you please tell me the last time any of those players had to fill in at Left back or wing back?


    He has outperformed the most lauded player. Fact. That is NOT pointless, which measures are more important? Goals.Assists.Chances created.Shots Accurate crosses. They are the most important. He beats PC in all of them bar headed duels


    You are ignoring the point, willfully or not. Sterling has clearly outperformed Coutinho(and any other midfielder/striker you can name at LFC in scoring, creating chances, assists and key attacking metrics


    So why is he as expendable as you say?

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  102. Cheers. Makes you think ...

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  103. I can't think of too many forwards who have performed with the consistency and to the success of Rooney over the last ten years.
    Big name strikers have come and gone at Old Trafford, he's still been the first name on the team sheet. Ferguson even gave in to his wage demands which didn't happen very often

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  104. No, it is you who is ignoring the obvious. Like so many others, you are incapable of looking at things without bias:

    * First, Sterling has played very few games as a wing-back, and in recent months, he's only played there against Swansea and Man United (after the sending off). You and others make it sound like he's constantly played there, which is nonsense.

    * What's Coutinho got to do with it? I didn't mention him in my comment.

    * Your point about season-wide stats is a straw-man argument with zero relevance here. Where have I used a 'snapshot' of stats in this instance? When I've employed stats to illustrate Sterling's eminent expendability, I've used stats that span the entire season, not a small period. As such, you are deliberately twisting the point.

    I couldn't care less if Sterling has 'outperformed' Coutinho; he is a money-grabbing mercenary who is treating the club and fans like mugs, and I hope he's sold this summer.

    Good personal performance doesn't excuse greed, just like exceptional football ability doesn't excuse biting.

    Sterling is expendable because, at the age of 20, he's made it clear that Liverpool is just not good enough for him. He's hedging his bets and holding out for a move and/or an obscene salary, and to me, that's unacceptable.

    I support LFC, not Sterling FC, and Liverpool can and will survive easily without him.

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  105. Sterling started the match against United at wingback and then played as a forward briefly then as a left back. So that is not accurate for a start. In another article you talked of last nine games or something like that.
    Surely you see how in any metric you use yourself Sterling is our top performer? Surely you see how adding the the media fueld hatred of Sterling is only a negative thing as he says himself it has effected his game. Social media and the ground have become a hotbed of Sterling criticism and his lack of potency in recent form could have a direct correlation bis his and in some.ways Liverpool's performances. You have talked about such a young player not needing extra pressure. Surely this kind of thing is far more pressure than any praise.
    Your entitled to your opinion and in many ways it is a correct one and you are just as entitled to talk about it. But there seems to me to be no need and only negative outcomes LFC when you perpetuate such inflammatory hateful ideas about someone nearly completely on the least trustworthy sources in British, tabloid football media.

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  106. Dunno if you have replied to Jamie there Mike but my reply is under review and may never see the light of day. How Jaime delay with arguments against is being debated by the man right now.

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  107. Your too kind my good man...He was my favourite player though...

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  108. He's played as a full back, wing back, RM, LM, LW, RW LAM, RAM, CAM, and as a striker.... Versatile little bugger...Just waiting for him to line up in goal next...

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  109. It doesn't

    Why should our status be affected for the next 20 years purely on one game? What are you smoking?

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  110. Maybe dung beetle.com where one rolls the same piece of dung over and over

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  111. April Fools came early hopefully!

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  112. Don't confuse him with a globe I haven't yet had the heart to tell him the world's not flat

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  113. What no more hols?

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  114. Speaking of...
    I need to replace the shelves in my library. Books keep falling off.

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  115. You forgot statistics

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  116. To continue the personal attacks on a young lad when they are based largely on the spurious information of printed by tabloid rags

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  117. No, no one can pass stats!

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  118. Since my longer reply was removed, I'll summarise this time.


    ll of the players you mention played in championship winning sides , so they could concentrate on what they did best.


    I compared Coutinho since he has received nothing but praise, yet the pilloried Sterling nothing but brickbats from you


    Every player is ultimately expendable. And every one has an obscene salary. Ave prem salary=£43k pw. Sterling = £35k pw. By not signing a £100k pw contract, he has given up £1.4m so far this season


    Some mercenary.

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  119. Haha. Right you are

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  120. Thank you for coming to my aid

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